men of invention and industry-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



fleet　was；　however；　very　badly　found　in　provisions　and

ammunition。　　There　was　only　a　week's　provisions　on　board；　and

scarcely　enough　ammunition　for　one　day's　hard　fighting。　　But　the

ships；　small　though　they　were；　were　in　good　condition。　　They

could　sail；　whether　in　pursuit　or　in　flight；　for　the　men　who

navigated　them　were　thorough　sailors。



The　success　of　the　defence　was　due　to　tact；　courage；　and

seamanship。　　At　the　first　contact　of　the　fleets；　the　Spanish

towering　galleons　wished　to　close；　to　grapple　with　their

contemptuous　enemies；　and　crush　them　to　death。　　〃Come　on！〃　said

Medina　Sidonia。　　Lord　Howard　came　on　with　the　Ark　and　three　other

ships；　and　fired　with　immense　rapidity　into　the　great　floating

castles。　　The　Sam　Mateo　luffed；　and　wanted　them　to　board。　　〃No！

not　yet！〃　　The　English　tacked；　returned；　fired　again；　riddled　the

Spaniards；　and　shot　away　in　the　eye　of　the　wind。　　To　the

astonishment　of　the　Spanish　Admiral；　the　English　ships　approached

him　or　left　him　just　as　they　chose。　　〃The　enemy　pursue　me；〃　wrote

the　Spanish　Admiral　to　the　Prince　of　Parma；　〃they　fire　upon　me

most　days　from　morning　till　nightfall；　but　they　will　not　close

and　grapple；　though　I　have　given　them　every　opportunity。〃　　The

Capitana；　a　galleon　of　1200　tons；　dropped　behind；　struck　her　flag

to　Drake；　and　increased　the　store　of　the　English　fleet　by　some

tons　of　gunpowder。　　Another　Spanish　ship　surrendered；　and　another

store　of　powder　and　shot　was　rescued　for　the　destruction　of　the

Armada。　　And　so　it　happened　throughout；　until　the　Spanish　fleet

was　driven　to　wreck　and　ruin；　and　the　remaining　ships　were

scattered　by　the　tempests　of　the　north。　　After　all；　Philip　proved

to　be；　what　the　sailors　called　him；　only　〃a　Colossus　stuffed　with

clouts。〃



The　English　sailors　followed　up　their　advantage。　　They　went　on

〃singeing　the　Ring　of　Spain's　beard。〃　　Private　adventurers　fitted

up　a　fleet　under　the　command　of　Drake；　and　invaded　the　mainland

of　Spain。　　They　took　the　lower　part　of　the　town　of　Corunna；

sailed　to　the　Tagus；　and　captured　a　fleet　of　ships　laden　with

wheat　and　warlike　stores　for　a　new　Armada。　　They　next　sacked

Vigo；　and　returned　to　England　with　150　pieces　of　cannon　and　a

rich　booty。　　The　Earl　of　Cumberland　sailed　to　the　West　Indies　on

a　private　adventure；　and　captured　more　Spanish　prizes。　　In　1590；

ten　English　merchantmen；　returning　from　the　Levant；　attacked

twelve　Spanish　galleons；　and　after　six　hours'　contest；　put　them

to　flight　with　great　loss。　　In　the　following　year；　three　merchant

ships　set　sail　for　the　East　Indies；　and　in　the　course　of　their

voyage　took　several　Portuguese　vessels。



A　powerful　Spanish　fleet　still　kept　the　seas；　and　in　1591　they

conquered　the　noble　Sir　Richard　Grenville　at　the　Azoresfifteen

great　Spanish　galleons　against　one　Queen's　ship；　the　Revenge。　　In

1593；　two　of　the　Queen's　ships；　accompanied　by　a　number　of

merchant　ships；　sailed　for　the　West　Indies；　under　Burroughs；

Frobisher；　and　Cross；　and　amongst　their　other　captures　they　took

the　greatest　of　all　the　East　India　caracks；　a　vessel　of　1600

tons；　700　men；　and　36　brass　cannon；　laden　with　a　magnificent

cargo。　　She　was　taken　to　Dartmouth；　and　surprised　all　who　saw

her；　being　the　largest　ship　that　had　ever　been　seen　in　England。　

In　1594；　Captain　James　Lancaster　set　sail　with　three　ships　upon　a

voyage　of　adventure。　　He　was　joined　by　some　Dutch　and　French

privateers。　　The　result　was；　that　they　captured　thirty…nine　of

the　Spanish　ships。　　Sir　Amias　Preston；　Sir　John　Hawkins；　and　Sir

Francis　Drake；　also　continued　their　action　upon　the　seas。　　Lord

Admiral　Howard　and　the　Earl　of　Essex　made　their　famous　attack

upon　Cadiz　for　the　purpose　of　destroying　the　new　Armada；　they

demolished　all　the　forts；　sank　eleven　of　the　King　of　Spain's　best

ships；　forty…four　merchant　ships；　and　brought　home　much　booty。



Nor　was　maritime　discovery　neglected。　　The　planting　of　new

colonies　began；　for　the　English　people　had　already　begun　to

swarm。　　In　1578；　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　planted　Newfoundland　for

the　Queen。　　In　1584；　Sir　Waiter　Raleigh　planted　the　first

settlement　in　Virginia。　　Nor　was　the　North…west　passage

neglected；　for　in　1580；　Captain　Pett　（a　name　famous　on　the

Thames）　set　sail　from　Harwich　in　the　George；　accompanied　by

Captain　Jackman　in　the　William。　　They　reached　the　ice　in　the

North　Sea；　but　were　compelled　to　return　without　effecting　their

purpose！　Will　it　be　believed　that　the　George　was　only　of　40　tons；

and　that　its　crew　consisted　of　nine　men　and　a　boy；　and　that　the

William　was　of　20　tons；　with　five　men　and　a　boy？　　The　wonder　is

that　these　little　vessels　could　resist　the　terrible　icefields；

and　return　to　England　again　with　their　hardy　crews。



Then　in　1585；　another　of　our　adventurous　sailors；　John　Davis；　of

Sandridge　on　the　Dart；　set　sail　with　two　barks；　the　Sunshine　and

the　Moonshine；　of　50　and　35　tons　respectively；　and　discovered　in

the　far　North…west　the　Strait　which　now　bears　his　name。　　He　was

driven　back　by　the　ice；　but；　undeterred　by　his　failure；　he　set

out　on　a　second；　and　then　on　a　third　voyage　of　discovery　in　the

two　following　years。　　But　he　never　succeeded　in　discovering　the

North…west　passage。　　It　all　reads　like　a　mysterythese　repeated；

determined；　and　energetic　attempts　to　discover　a　new　way　of

reaching　the　fabled　region　of　Cathay。



In　these　early　times　the　Dutch　were　not　unworthy　rivals　of　the

English。　　After　they　had　succeeded　in　throwing　off　the　Spanish

yoke　and　achieved　their　independence；　they　became　one　of　the　most

formidable　of　maritime　powers。　　In　the　course　of　another　century

Holland　possessed　more　colonies；　and　had　a　larger　share　of　the

carrying　trade　of　the　world　than　Britain。　　It　was　natural

therefore　that　the　Dutch　republic　should　take　an　interest　in　the

North…west　passage；　and　the　Dutch　sailors；　by　their　enterprise

and　bravery；　were　among　the　first　to　point　the　way　to　Arctic

discovery。　　Barents　and　Behring；　above　all　others；　proved　the

courage　and　determination　of　their　heroic　ancestors。



The　romance　of　the　East　India　Company　begins　with　an

advertisement　in　the　London　Gazette　of　1599；　towards　the　end　of

the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　As　with　all　other　enterprises　of

the　nation；　it　was　established　by　private　means。　　The　Company　was

started　with　a　capital　of　72；000L。　in　50L。　shares。　　The

adventurers　bought　four　vessels　of　an　average　burthen　of　350

tons。　　These　were　stocked　with　provisions；　〃Norwich　stuffs；〃　and

other　merchandise。　　The　tiny　fleet　sailed　from　Billingsgate　on

the　13th　February；　1601。　　It　went　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　to　the

East　Indies；　under　the　command　of　Captain　James　Lancaster。　　It

took　no　less　than　sixteen　months　to　reach　the　Indian　Archipelago。



The　little　fleet　reached　Acheen　in　June；　1602。　　The　king　of　the

territory　received　the　visitors　with　courtesy；　and　exchanged

spices　with　them　freely。　　The　four　vessels　sailed　homeward；

taking　possession　of　the　island　of　St。　Helena　on　their　way　back；

having　been　absent　exactly　thirty…one　months。　　The　profits　of　the

first　voyage　proved　to　be　about　one　hundred　per　cent。　　Such　was

the　origin　of　the　great　East　India　Companynow　expanded　into　an

empire；　and　containing　about　two　hundred　millions　of　people。



To　return　to　the　shipping　and　the　mercantile　marine　of　the　time

of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　The　number　of　Royal　ships　was　only　thirteen；

the　rest　of　the　navy　consisting　of　merchant　ships；　which　were

hired　and　discharged　when　their　purpose　was　served。＇11＇　

According　to　Wheeler；　at　the　accession　of　the　Queen；　there　were

not　more　than　four　ships　belonging　to　the　river　Thames；　excepting

those　of　the　Royal　Navy；　which　were　over　120　tons　in　burthen；＇12＇

and　after　forty　years；　the　whole　of　the　merchant　ships　of

England；　over　100　tons；　amounted　to　135；　only　a　few　of　these

being　of　500　tons。　　In　1588；　the　number　had　increased　to　150；　〃of

about　150　tons　one　with　another；　employed　in　trading　voyages　to

all　parts　and　countries。〃　The　principal　shipping　which　frequented

the　English　ports　still　continued　to　be　foreignItalian；

Flemish；　and　German。



Liverpool；　now　possessing　the　largest　shipping　tonnage　in　the

world；　had　not　yet　come　into　existence。　　It　was　little　better

than　a　fishing　village。　　The　people　of　the　place　presented　a

petition　to　the　Queen；　praying　her　to　remit　a　subsidy　which　had

been　imposed　upon　them；　and　speaking　of　their　native　place　as

〃Her　Majesty's　poor　decayed　town　of　Liverpool。〃　　In　1565；　seven

years　after　Queen　Elizabeth　began　to　reign；　the　number　of　vessels

belonging　to　Liverpool　was　only　twelve。　　The　largest　was　of　forty

tons　burthen；　with　twelve　men；　and　the　smallest　was　a　boat　of　six

tons；　with　three　men。＇13＇



James　I。；　on　his　accession　to　the　throne　of　England　in　1603；

called　in　all　the　ships　of　war；　as　well　as　the　numerous

privateers　which　had　been　employed　during　the　previous　reign　in

waging　war　against　the　commerce　of　Spain；　and　declared　himself　to

be　at　peace　with　all